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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27352096">The Enemy Within</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon'>t_dragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Glimpses of Cute, Manipulation, Mild Blood, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Multiple Personalities, Suicide Attempt, X-EXO Clones (EXO)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:55:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27352096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Baekhyun blinked - but when he opened his eyes again, it was not himself that he saw in the mirror.</p>
<p>
  <i>“You’ll never be able to escape me, Baekhyunnie. You know that. We are one, one are we.”</i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>EXODEUX Round 1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Enemy Within</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone!<br/>This is a self-prompt inspired by the song <a href="https://youtu.be/tEcggRukZCs">Ghost Assassin</a> by Maduk ft. Veela! I was thinking about what I wanted to write, this song came on, and I instantly knew what I was going to do... Somewhat, at least, lol! Someone might know the song - it's inspired by Kerrigan from StarCraft, if anyone knows the game, heh...<br/>Other songs that served as inspiration are <a href="https://youtu.be/_UlD09tZOYM">Demons</a> by We Are Fury ft. Micah Martin and <a href="https://youtu.be/GSkC8JUx4hQ">Gasoline</a> by N3wport ft. Riell, so if you want to set the mood I'd recommend these three songs!<br/>And the title comes from the TV Tropes site, but I know there's a few other things with the same name lol<br/>Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy my baby, it was pretty interesting to write~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Baekhyun!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Slowly, Baekhyun blinked his eyes open, wincing and closing them again as bright light assaulted them. Groaning, he reached up to touch his head, just to check if it had actually exploded like it felt it had - and then he froze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>He was able to move?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey, take it easy, you’re a bit banged up,” someone said, and Baekhyun tore his eyes open again, unable to believe it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But sure enough, a gummy smile and cat eyes was what his gaze landed on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hyung…?” Baekhyun questioned, wondering if this was some kind of illusion or something. It could not be real…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Welcome back to us, Baekhyunnie, it’s been a while,” Minseok said, glancing up at something Baekhyun could not see. “We need to get you out of here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “How…,” Baekhyun began, hissing as he finally pressed his hand against his head. It seemed to be at least mostly whole, but there was something wet - blood, he realized as he pulled his hand away again, dazedly looking down at the red on his palm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “We can talk about the </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> later, but right </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> we need to go,” Minseok said, putting away his gun and getting his arms beneath Baekhyun to help him stand up. “You good? Or should I carry you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “No carrying,” Baekhyun muttered as he tried to will his trembling legs to hold his weight, Minseok chuckling softly from beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ll help him, hyung, you’re the better shooter anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun froze once more, but this time his heart stopped as well, too-weak knees almost giving out. He knew that Minseok glanced over at him, could see the slight hesitation out of the corner of his eye, but he could not focus on that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Not when another presence made itself known next to him, a much larger and more demanding presence, even though the body was smaller. Smaller, and so incredibly familiar - but at the same time not, as it molded itself to his side, one arm around his waist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun could not help but hold his breath as he looked to the other side, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> got his eyes on the face that he had clung to in his mind, done his damnedest to not forget. Because he knew that if he forgot that, then he would have forgotten everything else, including himself. And he could not let that happen. Not while there still existed a chance, no matter how tiny it was, for him to return home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Round eyes, hardened by years of fighting and something Baekhyun could not name, turned to him too, and they were filled with so many emotions that Baekhyun felt echoing in his own heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A simple word, but it still brought tears to Baekhyun’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “H-hi,” Baekhyun responded, the word raspy and sounding a bit like a sob, barely making it out past the lump in his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Let’s go home,” Kyungsoo whispered, eyes darting all over Baekhyun’s face as his hand rubbed soothing circles into Baekhyun’s side, looking like he could barely believe what was happening either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Knowing that he would actually cry if he tried to speak again, Baekhyun only nodded, clinging to Kyungsoo as he let himself be helped away, several people surrounding them to keep them safe from the enemies they had just - somehow - rescued Baekhyun from.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  It was strange, being back. Everything was kind of the same, but there was also so much new. Especially people - there were so many new people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But Baekhyun tried to stay away from them, spending most of his time in his little room, not wanting to hear what they whispered behind his back, thinking they were quiet enough. They never were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Not that he blamed them, not really. He understood why they were so afraid of him - he was afraid of himself too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  When he had returned, he had still been dressed like one of the others, like one of the enemy. He had still been bedecked in the strange fabrics and jewelry, still with those </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> little braids. And his face was still the same, always had been. The enemy had worn his face, and the enemy had left its scar on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Because the enemy was within.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Something like a split personality, but more. An evil presence that could take over - and had taken over for quite some time. Identical on the outside but the opposite on the inside. Baekhyun was still amazed that he had managed to get back to himself, because Baëkhyun had been so strong, always making sure to keep Baekhyun confined to the darkest corner at the very back of the brain they shared. And no matter how much Baekhyun had fought, how much he had clawed at his mental prison, no matter how much he had shook the imaginary bars, he had never managed to get far.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But now here he was, back in his own body, with Baëkhyun dormant in the back of his head. Not gone, but not quite there either. It was strange, really. Because Baëkhyun had always been there, whispers gradually having turned louder and louder in Baekhyun’s ears, until Baekhyun could not fight him anymore. But not now - now there were silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Terrifying silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  One of the first things Baekhyun had done was burn the clothes he had been wearing. It had been rather satisfying, watching the shiny black melt and disintegrate like the useless fabric it was. It was for nothing more than aesthetics, serving no other purpose than looking a certain way, unlike the much more comfortable clothes Baekhyun had been able to change into.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He had also thrown the chain Baëkhyun almost always wore across his face into the fire. It did not melt alongside the rest, but it became entangled enough in the mess that the effort of getting it out would not be worth it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It had felt nice, really nice, to get rid of all of that. Taking steps of leaving the past behind, even if it could only ever be the physical aspects of it. The mental ones would always be there to haunt him - literally. Because he did not believe that Baëkhyun would stay forever quiet in his head, now matter how silent things were currently. He was too strong for that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And Baekhyun feared the day when Baëkhyun took the control back. Hopefully, it would never come, but if it did… There would be hell to pay.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  There was not much for Baekhyun to do in his self-inflicted isolation, he rather quickly figured out. During one of his few short trips outside of his room, he managed to find his way to the small library that had been set up early on in the base’s history, and found that it had been greatly updated since last he had visited it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was nothing major, really, but there were a whole lot more books not related to their fighting cause than before. It was probably a very good thing, to be honest - there was only so much present one could handle in the middle of a war without going insane, and having an imaginary world to escape to at least every now and then most likely helped a lot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  After having grabbed a few books that seemed interesting from a quick look at their covers, Baekhyun then retreated back to his room and began to read. He managed to make a surprising amount of time pass while deep between the pages, but the downside of spending so much time there was the fact that his books quickly ran out. And that meant that he had to make more trips outside of his comfort zone, choosing late evening for his tiny travels.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun felt a bit like a thief, sneaking around under the cover of the night, and he suspected that the slight thrill of it came from the fact that it felt a bit as if he was a character in his very own book. Slipping down hallways and trying to avoid whoever he might come across, staying out of the light. It was somewhat fun - until he got caught once and had some real nasty glares directed his way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  After that Baekhyun once more minimized his trips, even though that left him with much more time to get through on his own, without an escape. And for some reason he felt more trapped and anxious than before, though it made no sense. Maybe it was because he knew there was a way to not have to feel like that, a way he was not able to fully use.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  No matter the reason, it had him going through moments of being more skittish than usual, to the point of paranoia sometimes. And the feeling of being watched even though no one seemed to be there was made a thousand times worse when knowing that there </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually someone there who </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> be watching him, tucked away in a dark corner for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was during one of those moments, as Baekhyun startled at the feeling of hair brushing against the side of his neck, that something seemed to snap inside of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Storming into the bathroom, Baekhyun began looking through it. It did not contain a lot, but there </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be something he could use, even if it had to be nail scissors or something like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The first thing he found was a razor, and he quickly grabbed it and headed back to the sink. With unsteady fingers he managed to pry the blades out, barely even flinching when he slipped and accidentally cut a fingertip, ignoring the single red drop falling onto the counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Snatching one of the annoying braids, Baekhyun turned his head as far as he could while still being somewhat able to see what he was doing in the mirror. Stretching the hair out, he began to saw it off, until it fell away from his head to hang limply in his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Staring at the blonde braid, Baekhyun did not know quite what he felt. There was an emptiness inside of him, but it did not quite feel like a bad kind emptiness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dropping the braid into the sink, Baekhyun grabbed the other and quickly got rid of that too, exhaling in something that was looking a lot like relief as he was able to drop it down next to the other one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was another step in leaving the past behind - Baëkhyun had not cared about keeping up with his hair in the beginning and had left it to grow, later on having moved to a proper hairstyle. But he still let those two braids continue to grow, and Baekhyun could not help but wonder if there had been a specific reason behind it instead of just being because Baëkhyun liked what it looked like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Turning the water on to wet his hands, Baekhyun then pulled them through his hair, dragging it up and away from his face a few times. It was looking a whole lot messier when he was done, but it was also looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and that was the important part.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Turning the water off again, Baekhyun placed his hands on the counter and leaned on them as he stared at himself in the mirror. He looked almost as exhausted as he felt, face gaunt and skin lackluster, with his eyes looking like twin black holes, empty and haunted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Like shit, honestly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun blinked - but when he opened his eyes again, it was not himself that he saw in the mirror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> face. So like his own, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>different.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You’ll never be able to escape me, Baekhyunnie. You know that.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Get out, get out, get out!” Baekhyun loudly chanted, closing his eyes, but the mirror image was still there, imprinted into his eyelids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not going anywhere. Why? Because we’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>one and the same</span>
  <em>
    <span>, Baekhyunnie. We are one, one are we.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  With a despairing roar, Baekhyun lashed out, and it was not until he felt the sharp pain across his knuckles that he realized what he had done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Cracks were spreading like a spider web out from underneath Baekhyun’s fist, across the entire mirror. A few fragments were falling down, hitting the porcelain sink with so very loud clinks as they came to a stop nestled between the braids, while a few were embedded into Baekhyun’s skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And in the kaleidoscopic shards still clinging to the frame, Baekhyun saw only himself, wide eyes filled with panic and fear, so dark against his pale face. The faint laughter at the back of his head sounded ominously ecstatic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Startling, Baekhyun whipped his head around to face the sound. Standing in the doorway was Kyungsoo, all too perceptive eyes taking the scene in, until finally focusing on Baekhyun’s hand. Shame filled Baekhyun, shame over having lost control like that, shame over not being able to win over his demons, and he curled in on himself as he slowly pulled back from the mirror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Having lowered his eyes to the floor, Baekhyun did not see Kyungsoo’s face, but he heard the soft sigh. It hit him like a thousand icy needles straight in his chest, making him want to hide away even more, shrinking back with every step he heard being taken towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey, come on, let’s get that hand taken care of, yeah?” Kyungsoo mumbled in a gentle voice as soon as he reached Baekhyun’s side. The hand on his cheek had Baekhyun flinch away at first, but the soothing feeling it brought quickly had him lean back into the touch. “I’m sure there’s a First Aid kit in here somewhere…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A few minutes later of Kyungsoo rifling through various places and Baekhyun silently watching while cradling his dully pulsating hand against his chest, they were seated on the floor, so close that their knees were touching. Kyungsoo held out a hand in request, and Baekhyun hesitantly offered him his own hand in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  With tender, careful hands, Kyungsoo looked over Baekhyun’s, humming before pulling out a pair of tweezers. Knowing he was not going to like what came next, Baekhyun bit down on his lower lip and turned away somewhat, unable to look fully away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Don’t bite your lip, it’s not good for it,” Kyungsoo mumbled, shocking Baekhyun into releasing his lip - and Kyungsoo used the moment to pull out one of the deeper embedded pieces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Hissing softly, Baekhyun wrapped his free hand around his ankle, just to have something to cling to, tightening his grip as Kyungsoo pulled out another piece.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I know, I know, I’m sorry,” Kyungsoow whispered, pausing for a moment to gently massage the side of Baekhyun’s hand before continuing. “I’m trying to be as careful as I can be, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I know,” Baekhyun whispered back. “It’s okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Silence settled over them as Kyungsoo flashed Baekhyun a small smile and then continued to work. Baekhyun had not expected for there to be so many pieces of glass in his skin, it had not looked like it, but Kyungsoo managed to find quite the few, the little pile on the floor next to them looking larger than Baekhyun thought it should.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Finally Kyungsoo seemed to be done, though, putting down the tweezers and turning Baekhyun’s hand back and forth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I think that’s it, I can’t see any more in there…,” Kyungsoo mumbled, releasing Baekhyun’s hand for a moment to pull out a few other things from the First Aid kit. “It’s not going to get much less painful now, though, there’s still some suffering to do, sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “At least you’re not cauterizing it with a searing blade,” Baekhyun tried to joke, but he realized it maybe was not the best of things to say as Kyungsoo’s head snapped up to stare at him in alarm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “They did that to you?” Kyungsoo whispered in a horrified voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun was shaking his head no before Kyungsoo had even finished his question. “No, not me, he didn’t like scars and was extremely pissed when he got cut across the face, but he did it to some of the others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “That’s… So </span>
  <em>
    <span>barbaric</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Kyungsoo muttered as he got back to what he was doing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun barked out a short, somewhat sad, laugh at that. “That’s pretty mild when it comes to them, to be honest…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo’s lips thinned into an unhappy line, and Baekhyun deeply regretted his words. He could have just shut up, but instead he was making Kyungsoo sad. It seemed to be a talent of his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Silence settled around them, and Baekhyun wished he could say something, anything, to break the tension. But he had already said too much, and did not want to make things worse. So instead he stayed silent, clenching his jaw shut as Kyungsoo applied the antiseptic to the tiny cuts. It stung, but Baekhyun had endured worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Why have you been avoiding me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun startled at that, eyes growing wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ve not been avoiding you…,” Baekhyun slowly said, watching as Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, even though he did not look up from what he was doing. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Technically</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve been avoiding everyone… People haven’t really been too happy about seeing me here, so I stay out of their way, and we’re all the happier for it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m not happier for it,” Kyungsoo muttered, applying a bit more pressure and making Baekhyun hiss in pain. “Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to hurt you… Anyway, people have to accept you, so you shouldn’t hide away in the shadows. You’ve done so much for us, and what your imposter did wearing your face doesn’t erase that. That wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun wished he could believe in himself as much as Kyungsoo did. He wished he could forget about all of the cruelty and atrocities he had seen and start over again, ignore all of the whispers and show everyone that he was not Baëkhyun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But it was hard. He had lived in the shadow of Baëkhyun for so long, he barely knew who he was anymore. He had lost so much of himself during the years of confinement that the only thing he knew for certain that he could say belonged to him was his love for Kyungsoo. He had clung to it so desperately, it had been his only hope for so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo did not push Baekhyun to talk again, instead moving on to bandage Baekhyun’s hand, and Baekhyun appreciated it. Maybe Kyungsoo recognized that Baekhyun would speak again when he was ready? He had always been pretty good at reading Baekhyun, and maybe some of that still lingered?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was not until Kyungsoo had finished up with Baekhyun’s hand and started to put things away into the First Aid kit again that Baekhyun found the courage to talk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m starting to see him again,” Baekhyun whispered, feeling that anxiousness filling him again. “I know he wants to get back out, wants to take control again, and I’m so scared he’ll succeed…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You’re strong, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo said, a somewhat hard edge to his voice as he gripped Baekhyun’s unharmed hand. “You just need to believe in yourself. You got back once already, right? And I’ll be here with you, helping you in whatever way I can.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun could not help the way his tiny smile wobbled. “Can’t understand why you’d still want to be here…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Why wouldn’t I want to?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes so sharp and perceptive again, making Baekhyun feel as if Kyungsoo was looking straight into his soul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Could he see the other Baekhyun in there?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?” Baekhyun shot back, clinging a bit harder to Kyungsoo’s hand. He really did not understand why Kyungsoo was still there - but that did not mean that he did not </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kyungsoo to still be next to him. “I’m not who I was before everything happened, I’m a broken man haunted by demons he can’t get rid of, scarred by a past I didn’t take part in… One day you might come looking for me and find yourself faced with my nightmare instead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The soft chuckle tumbling past pursed lips took Baekhyun off guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You always were a bit dramatic… You’re not who you were before, that’s true, but that’s also what life’s like. We grow up, we experience things, we learn. Just because you went through </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> traumatic things, it doesn’t mean that you’re still not the man I fell in love with. You’ve changed, but you’re still </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> at the core. And that’s what’s important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun could not help but blush at Kyungsoo’s words. Everything had been so strange after he returned, he had had to deal with so much that he had never even dared entertaining the idea that Kyungsoo still loved him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Shuffling closer, Kyungsoo cupped Baekhyun’s burning cheeks, eyes roaming across Baekhyun’s face as if he was memorizing every little part of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “And I don’t mind the scar,” Kyungsoo whispered, thumbs rubbing across Baekhyun’s cheekbones, right where Baekhyun knew that his slightly jagged scar rested. “You’re still handsome to me. Don’t you know that they say that men with scars are really sexy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun gave a little surprised laughter at that, just a tinge of panic to it. Kyungsoo smiled his wide, heart-shaped smile at him, softening into a close-lipped one as Baekhyun calmed down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Really, I don’t mind the scar,” Kyungsoo continued. “It’s a part of who you are, a physical sign of what you’ve gone through. I know you hate it, but it’ll fade in time. All scars do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And then Kyungsoo leaned forwards and pressed the softest of kisses against the bridge of Baekhyun’s nose, where his scar ran across it. Eyes falling closed on their own, Baekhyun exhaled a hitched breath, trembling beneath the touch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Somehow, they managed to curl up on the cold bathroom floor, wrapped around each other and propped up against one of the walls. It should be incredibly uncomfortable, but Baekhyun never wanted to ever move again. He just felt so safe, something he had not felt in such a long time now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m scared of him taking over again,” Baekhyun admitted in a whisper. “You say I’m strong, but he’s been able to take over once before, and I don’t even know how I got back…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Silence settled for a few seconds, and Baekhyun took the opportunity to listen to Kyungsoo’s heart, beating so strongly and surely in his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What do you remember?” Kyungsoo asked, slowly dragging his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Not much,” Baekhyun sighed. “Just being stuck inside of my own head, all the darkness drowning me… And then something was happening, I felt his anger and annoyance but he was blocking me more than usual so I didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> was happening. I’m guessing it was the attack and he didn’t want me to know. Then we were knocked out, and when I woke up again you were there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo hummed at that, the sound softly reverberating from Kyungsoo’s chest into Baekhyun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry about knocking you out like that, making you bleed wasn’t part of the plan,” Kyungsoo said, and it had Baekhyun give a little chuckle. “But it served its purpose of incapacitating the other to hopefully get you out again. I was screaming and pleading with your unconscious body to have you wake up as </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and I guess it worked. I would’ve been a bit gentler, though, if I’d had more time, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Somewhat unable to believe what Kyungsoo was saying, Baekhyun pushed himself upright, until he could turn and stare at Kyungsoo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What?” Kyungsoo asked after a moment of silence, looking a bit unsure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You… You got me out,” Baekhyun slowly said, his entire chest filling with something so incredibly soft and gentle, something that had him feel a bit like crying. “It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I mean, it makes sense, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It makes sense?” Kyungsoo asked, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “But?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Well, yeah, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> make sense,” Baekhyun began to explain, feeling his cheeks heat up again, not sure how much he would be able to admit to. “You’ve always… I guess been what I’ve clung to? But Baëkhyun was so strong, no matter how much I tried to fight him to get back to you, I never managed…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hm, maybe you just needed the extra little push of me actually being there when you got through?” Kyungsoo suggested, his eyes shining, and he looked so incredibly beautiful that Baekhyun had no idea what to do with himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Maybe,” Baekhyun breathed, too enchanted by the shy smile growing on Kyungsoo’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I was what you clung to?” Kyungsoo questioned in a soft voice, matching the atmosphere change suddenly having happened around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Of course, what else?” Baekhyun answered - because it was obvious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He loved Kyungsoo, had been in love with him since basically the very first moment, and it had only continued to grow over the years. It was something that Baekhyun had made </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> to nurture, because it was the only thing he had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I don’t know, but I’m happy it was me,” Kyungsoo said, and by now his smile was the full, heart-shaped one that Baekhyun adored so much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And Baekhyun </span>
  <em>
    <span>ached</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get a taste of it again, it had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> long, but-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Two gentle hands cupped Baekhyun’s cheeks, and in the very next moment he was being pulled down, until his lips met plush softness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baëkhyun had been far from chaste and had not cared about keeping Baekhyun away whenever he claimed another conquest - if anything, Baekhyun suspected that Baëkhyun </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoyed</span>
  </em>
  <span> having an audience, even if it was only in his own head. So it was not as if Baekhyun had not been able to feel a vast variety of kisses over the past few years, but not a single one of them came even </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span> to what it was like kissing Kyungsoo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo kissed him deeply and with so much love that Baekhyun could feel it out into the very tips of his fingers and toes. There was no anger, no forcefulness, no sadism behind his kisses, just the simple need to physically show his feelings for Baekhyun, and Baekhyun willingly drowned in it while trying to give Kyungsoo just as much back, show him just how much Baekhyun still loved him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And by the time Kyungsoo pulled back, they were both breathing raggedly, lips shiny and red, the apples of their cheeks tinted pink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Again?” Baekhyun asked, the daze in his head making him bolder than his new normal, more like how he had been before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo merely softly laughed, before he pulled Baekhyun back in, and Baekhyun had never expected to find heaven in a cold and sterile bathroom, but that was exactly what he did.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  Slowly, Baekhyun began to leave his room more and more, as per Kyungsoo’s request (it was really more of a demand). Sometimes he would meet up with Kyungsoo and even Minseok to eat, or he would wander around the large base, trying to reorient and refamiliarize himself with it again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But he still spent most of his time in his room, it simply was where he was the most comfortable, and he no longer felt the need to be a force constantly moving forwards. Younger him had had the energy and the drive, but older him was past that. It was better to leave it to the ones having come after him, especially to the ones not carrying one of their enemies inside of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo did not quite agree, but he also did not push Baekhyun, most likely knowing that it would do neither of them any good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Then one day, a short alarm went off, startling Baekhyun and almost making him drop the book he was reading.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What the…,” he said as he closed the book and put it down, frowning up towards the speaker that had by now turned off again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  That was not an alarm he had ever heard during his days here in the past - was it an alarm that they had never needed? Or had they changed the alarms? What </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> it mean?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Deciding that he should go find Kyungsoo, to make sure it was nothing bad, Baekhyun stood up and shrugged on his jacket, before opening the door to his room and heading outside. The few people he saw as he set down the corridor were obviously in a hurry, but that could be for a multitude of reasons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He needed to find Kyungsoo, and since he had no idea where the other was, he needed to ask someone if they knew. The problem with that, though, was that people were still very suspicious of him, and tried to stay away from him whenever they came across him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Excuse me,” Baekhyun said, stepping out in front of the person to stop them from ignoring him and continuing on. “Do you know where Kyungsoo is?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The woman looked a bit conflicted, as if she did not know if she wanted to tell Baekhyun or not, even as her eyes glanced away, probably towards where Kyungsoo was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “He’s in the command center,” she finally said, side-stepping Baekhyun and hurrying away before he even got the chance to thank her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It’s like they expect me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>bite</span>
  </em>
  <span> them,” Baekhyun muttered to himself, before he continued on his way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  At least he knew where the command center was, and would not need to ask someone for directions. He was not sure he would be able to corner anyone else to get the information he needed, to be honest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It did not take long for Baekhyun to reach his destination. The doors looked exactly the same as they had all of those years ago when they had first set up base here, if a bit worn. Nothing escaped the passing of time, obviously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Stepping inside of the room, Baekhyun immediately realized that something big was going on. It was hard to miss, honestly, considering how hectic everyone were acting, talking among themselves in rushed voices.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “What’s going on?” Baekhyun asked, looking around and noticing the looks some of the other people were throwing him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Suspicion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>More</span>
  </em>
  <span> suspicion than usually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Both Kyungsoo and Minseok turned to look at him, their mouths drawn into worried lines. And when Minseok glanced over at Kyungsoo, the ball of unease in Baekhyun’s stomach grew even larger and tighter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “There’s an attack,” Kyungsoo began, and Baekhyun </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> what he was about to say before Kyungsoo even continued. “It’s still unconfirmed, but it’s looking like Deux.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Unwilling to believe it, Baekhyun rushed forwards to be able to see the screen, to see for himself if it was actually true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It’s them,” Baekhyun whispered, horror filling him as he watched the black-clad soldiers caught by the perimeter cameras. “They’re here for me. They’re here for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Inside of his head, Baëkhyun was roaring in excitement, pacing around like a caged tiger, just waiting to be let out again. With every second passing he seemed to get closer and closer to breaking out, and Baekhyun could not help the way his heart sped up, his breathing getting more and more shallow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But suddenly there were two hands cupping his cheeks, bringing the world back into focus - </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> world, two large and bright orbs shining with fierce stubbornness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “They can’t have you, you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Kyungsoo exclaimed with so much conviction in his voice. “They can try, but they won’t succeed again, I’m right here with you, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>won’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> allow it. Do you hear me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun knew Kyungsoo was not speaking only to him - and Baëkhyun snarled in annoyance at the obvious challenge. They both knew that Kyungsoo held a certain power over them, he had already managed to get Baekhyun back once before, and the chances of that happening again were high. Especially now that both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo knew that it worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Don’t worry, we won’t let them get close enough to steal our Baekhyunnie again,” Minseok spoke up, winking as Baekhyun glanced over at him. “This isn’t our first fight, and I have some issues I’d like to address with them, like stealing isn’t a nice thing to do. We’ll handle this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “We will, there is no other option,” Kyungsoo agreed, still staring at Baekhyun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Okay, let’s talk some tactics, kids, you can stare all lovey-dovey at each other later,” Minseok said, faking sternness. Not because the current attack was not important, but because he knew what this meant to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  What had happened the last time they had been here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo stole another second of Baekhyun, before nodding and pulling back, heading over to the table where Minseok was now standing, Baekhyun slowly following along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Minseok quickly divided up areas for the higher in commands, and they began dropping out as soon as they got their orders, until it was only Minseok, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun standing inside of the command center, along with the people who were supposed to stay here to keep an eye on things and offer support wherever it was needed. And as Minseok left him out of it, Baekhyun suspected he was expected to stay in the command center as well. Probably for his own protection, but possibly for other reasons too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He would not blame anyone, least of all Minseok, if the other reasons were the biggest factor in this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ll head down to the west side and keep things going there,” Minseok said, motioning towards one side of the map. “Kyungsoo, you’ll have the south side. Good luck to all of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo nodded, throwing Baekhyun a quick but slightly dim smile, before turning and starting away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Wait, I’m going with you,” Baekhyun said, before he had even consciously thought of volunteering. It just felt like the right thing to do - and he did not want Kyungsoo to go out there on his own. He would not be able to protect Kyungsoo when hiding inside of the base.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo came to a stop and looked up at him, his large eyes so perceptive. “Are you sure?” Kyungsoo asked, the question evaluative and not doubting or dismissing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I am,” Baekhyun confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He needed to do this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Okay, then, follow me,” Kyungsoo said, inclining his head towards the doors before starting to walk again, Baekhyun following closely behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  They spent the walk over to the elevator leading to the right area in silence, and it followed them into the metal box as well. Baekhyun felt like saying something - he just could not figure out what.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A hand appeared on his arm, gentle yet insistent, and Baekhyun looked to his side to see Kyungsoo watching him with worry in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Are you sure you’re okay, that you’ll be fine?” he asked, getting a tiny bit closer to Baekhyun. “I don’t want you to do something that might overwhelm you or anything like that, I… I just got you back, and I’m… Worried.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Smiling with confidence that he did not quite feel, Baekhyun nodded. “I’m okay, I’ll be fine. I won’t leave you again, I promise. I just want to help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo worried his lower lip for a second, before he moved his hand from Baekhyun’s arm. Placing it at Baekhyun’s neck instead, Kyungsoo pulled him forwards, until their lips met in a kiss that was as sweet as it was desperate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “If you at any point start feeling like you can’t handle it, let me know,” Kyungsoo whispered after he had pulled back, staring straight into Baekhyun’s eyes. “I’ll come for you and I’ll help you, I just don’t want to lose you. I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A knot appeared in Baekhyun’s throat, making it hard for him to get those so very important words out, but he had to say them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I love you too,” he croaked, forcing the phrase past the knot, needing Kyungsoo to know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He had not been able to say the words to Kyungsoo the last time they had been here, before Baëkhyun had managed to take over, so he had to make sure that he said them loud and clear this time around. So that no matter what happened today, Kyungsoo would know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo pulled Baekhyun into a last kiss, this one shorter but still as breathtaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Stay with me,” Kyungsoo pleaded, and Baekhyun nodded, unable to say anything more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And then the elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening to pure chaos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There were so many people running around, orders being shouted back and forth. Kyungsoo ignored it and headed straight for the weapon arsenal, with Baekhyun at his heel. They drew some attention to them, but most people were focused on what they were supposed to do, thankfully. Apparently they deemed an attack more important than the enemy-turned-ally, which was a really good thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Arriving at the armoury, Kyungsoo quickly located what he needed, while Baekhyun took a moment to look around. This place was one of those areas that had existed back when Baekhyun had still been here, but it had been majorly overhauled since, and he had no idea where to even begin to look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo called out, and looking over at him, Baekhyun found him holding out a gun and a holster. “For you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Taking the weapon, Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo a grateful smile, before he fastened it to himself. It was even one of the types of guns that Baekhyun had preferred back in the day, and Baekhyun did not know why that detail made him feel a bit choked up again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Slowly, and somewhat hesitantly, Kyungsoo held something else out for Baekhyun. And as Baekhyun took it, he understood why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was a dagger. Bladed weapons were Baëkhyun’s preferred choice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Clenching his jaw, Baekhyun strapped the scabbard to his body - hoping he would not have to use it. He had never been a sword kind of guy before, and after having lived through Baëkhyun’s reign, even less so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baëkhyun was softly humming a song Baekhyun did not recognize, appearing like a child about to play his favourite game. And it was not too far off - Baëkhyun truly enjoyed battles. Baekhyun never had, they had always been a necessary evil to him, but that was just another point where they were opposites.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baëkhyun snorted in his head, but Baekhyun ignored him, instead focusing on checking his gun to make sure it was ready to go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Ready?” Kyungsoo asked as Baekhyun holstered the weapon, and grimly Baekhyun nodded a yes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He was as ready as he would probably ever be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Let’s go, then,” Kyungsoo said, before leading the way over to where people were waiting for them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun stood back as Kyungsoo held a short tactics speech, taking a moment to admire and appreciate the other. His looks made Kyungsoo appear rather innocent, but on the inside you found a hardened and capable general who had made it through countless battles, one of the first to join the resistance. He looked so handsome and focused, and frankly rather hot, as he relayed information and set up squads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  No one looked as good giving orders as Kyungsoo did, and Baekhyun did not care how strong Baëkhyun’s disagreement was inside of him, it was the honest truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “If you’re done staring at me, let’s get going,” Kyungsoo said before he even turned around, flashing Baekhyun a cheeky smile as their eyes met.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Slightly embarrassed by having been apparently rather obvious, Baekhyun lowered his eyes to the ground, but he could not help the tiny smile tugging at his lips. This had been a thing too many times in the past, and it was the only thing Baekhyun missed from his own time in battle. That, and the intense rendezvous afterwards, as they made sure, intimately, that they were both okay and as intact as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Hopping onto one of the trucks going out, they were then transported to their area. The attack had not reached this far yet, giving them the opportunity to actually divide into smaller groups and take cover without having a barrage raining down upon them. Always made things a bit easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Do you remember how to shoot?” Kyungsoo asked once they were hunkered down behind one of the barricades, only the two of them behind this particular one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun guessed it had something to do with him, and he was most likely right. But they had other people close enough that it should not matter, they should all still be able to provide enough firepower to hold the attack back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Aim and then press the trigger,” Baekhyun answered, offering Kyungsoo a tiny smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo let out a short laugh at that. “There’s a bit more to it than that, but good enough. Get ready, they should be here soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And it did not take long before the attack began to move into their area, and an even shorter time before they became properly busy. It was as if the enemy soldiers were pouring in, five new ones taking the place of every single one they took down, and it quickly started to look uncomfortably overwhelming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Where did they all come from? There were so </span>
  <em>
    <span>many</span>
  </em>
  <span>, much more than when Baëkhyun had been one of the people in charge, and that had not been </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> long ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Shit, they’re starting to break through,” Kyungsoo suddenly cursed, and Baekhyun turned to see one of the barricades having been badly damaged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There were a few people on the ground, with others desperately trying to hold the enemy back, but it was not looking good. They needed more fire power, they needed at least one of him and Kyungsoo, but they would not be able to make it together with how in the middle of the action they were. Somebody needed to stay and draw the fire away so that the other could run. And it was rather obvious who it should be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Go, I’ll cover you!” Baekhyun yelled, turning to return fire before Kyungsoo could respond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You better stay with me, Byun Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo yelled back - and then Baekhyun heard him start to run.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ll do my best,” Baekhyun muttered, taking shots until he was sure Kyungsoo had reached his goal, and then he ducked behind cover to check on his ammo and take a breather.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It had been a long time since he had fought as himself and he had forgotten just how exhausting it was, but he was slowly getting back into it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You could just give in to me, then you wouldn’t have to deal with it,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Baëkhyun whispered to him, startling Baekhyun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Shut up,” Baekhyun hissed, before poking his head around the corner to take aim and shoot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Maybe Baekhyun took some pleasure in killing Deux’s underlings - but it was the closest he was currently able to get to getting revenge. Not only for himself, but revenge for every single murder he had witnessed, every single assault and act of unnecessary violence. He had seen first-hand how brutal these soldiers were, how influenced they were by the darkness spread by Deux, and he knew that the world would be an at least slightly better place without them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You were one of them at one point, you fought beside them,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Baëkhyun murmured, causing Baekhyun to mess up a shot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “No, that was you, I had no part in it,” Baekhyun muttered, taking aim again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  This time he was prepared for Baëkhyun to speak again, and he took down another one even as Baëkhyun responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You seem to forget that I’m part of you, Baekhyunnie, and that I’m able to see the darkness you try to deny even to yourself… But you can’t lie to me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “That’s yours, not mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Bullshit, and you know in your pretty little stained heart that I’m right. Admit it.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Grinding his teeth together, Baekhyun ignored Baëkhyun. This was not the time for this, they were in the middle of a battlefield, and Baekhyun needed to fight against the enemy coming at them, not the enemy within. He knew that was a losing battle anyway - Baëkhyun was still too strong for Baekhyun to be able to smother completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Silly boy, one day I’ll get you to admit, and I’ll watch as every single person you love turn their back on you and walk away, leaving you all alone with no one else than </span>
  </em>
  <span>me.</span>
  <em>
    <span> We’ll have so much fun then, Baekhyunnie, you and me sharing the spoils of war and victory. You know what they say, shared joy is double joy, and who better to share joy with than the very person living inside of you?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Closing his eyes for a moment and inhaling, Baekhyun tried to push Baëkhyun back, into the dark corner where he had imprisoned Baekhyun before, tried to shut the cage on him. But Baëkhyun was fighting back with all he got, and Baekhyun knew it was because he could smell the possible freedom from the stench of injury and death around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Just give in, Baekhyunnie, let me take over again. You know it’ll happen in the end anyway, step back, and I promise I’ll be nice to your loved ones,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Baëkhyun tried to coax, sounding so dangerously saccharine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’ll be quick and I’ll make sure you don’t have to watch, I’ll wrap you up in the gentle embrace of darkness and spare you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dropping his gun to the ground, Baekhyun slapped his hands over his ears in a futile effort to not have to hear another word. He was failing, failing again, he was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Stupid little boy, I don’t need your ears to whisper sweet nothings to you. Why are you trying to prolong the inevitable? Why make your own suffering worse? Give me control and it’ll all be over!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Stop! Get out of my head!” Baekhyun desperately rambled under his breath, shutting his eyes so tight it hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You can’t get rid of me, I’m you and you are me, there’s nothing you can do to change it! Even if you manage to stay in control I’ll always be here, and I won’t let you rest for a single day, I’ll make your life into a living hell!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun!” someone yelled, and Baekhyun opened his eyes to find Kyungsoo a few meters away from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Soo-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“He won’t be able to save you in the end, he’s just a tiny little useless band-aid across a festering and ever-growing gash in your very soul, but I’ll always win over him, and you know that! I’ll forever be by your side, you don’t belong to him, you belong to me!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  With tears forming in his eyes, Baekhyun watched Kyungsoo fight someone off, before running towards him. He needed him, he needed his anchor, his steady rock in the storm, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You have him, I’m already here, he’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>nothing.</span>
  <em>
    <span> He can’t protect you, and he can’t protect himself, neither can you protect him or anyone else here. The difference between us and them is that we’re not afraid to die, death holds no power over us, we’ll never stop!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun could not breathe, it was all becoming too much. There was so much screaming around him, so many loud sounds, the sounds of fighting and weapons and death. And Kyungsoo was still so far away, too far, out of reach-</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“You know you won’t be able to stop this, they’ll just keep coming for me, killing everyone standing in their path until they get to you,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Baëkhyun hissed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“They’ll kill your precious little </span>
  </em>
  <span>Soo</span>
  <em>
    <span> too, you know they don’t give a fuck, you’ve been with me for long enough to know! They have no morals, all they want is </span>
  </em>
  <span>me</span>
  <em>
    <span>, and they’ll do anything to have me!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And Baekhyun knew that he was right - he had seen it. He had seen the brutality of Baëkhyun’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> or whatever they were, had seen how little regard they held for anyone else but themselves, how little care they gave about anything else. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> do whatever was needed to get Baëkhyun back, because they were bound together by a twisted loyalty that Baekhyun had never been able to understand, but it was strong enough to leave no uncertainty about what they would do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Anything. They would do anything. Kill everyone until they got Baëkhyun, or die trying. And that was not something Baekhyun was willing to risk. There was too much at stake, something so very important that Baekhyun could not stand losing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He couldn’t let Baëkhyun take over, not like this, not now. Baekhyun needed to stop this once and for all - and he knew what he had to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Grabbing the dagger with both hands, Baekhyun closed his eyes and yelled out all of his frustration and anger and </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorrow</span>
  </em>
  <span> as he aimed straight for his stomach - putting all of his force behind the thrust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  This was for the best for all of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>NO!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  With a gasp, Baekhyun came awake. Disoriented, he looked around, trying to understand what he was seeing. There was just so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>white</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all around him… And the </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It had something tugging at the back of his mind, some kind of memory…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was not until he registered the constant beeping that Baekhyun realized - he was in the hospital. But-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun? You’re awake!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun’s head immediately snapped to the side at the sound of the relieved voice, eyes unfocused for a moment before his gaze cleared up, finally being able to see large, worried eyes and slightly chapped lips - as if they had been chewed on - relaxing into a heart-shaped smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Soo…?” Baekhyun managed to somehow get out, even though his throat felt dryer than a desert.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Yeah, it’s me, it’s me,” Kyungsoo said, scooting closer and placing a blessedly cool hand against Baekhyun’s cheek, who sighed and leaned into the touch, eyelids fluttering closed for a moment. “I almost though I’d lost you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “W-what happened?” Baekhyun asked. “Why am I here… The others…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “We managed to fight them back, after you…,” Kyungsoo began, before trailing off, gaze turning a bit haunted for a moment as his hand tensed against Baekhyun’s cheek. “Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> dare do something like that again, Baekhyun, I was so scared…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m sorry,” Baekhyun whispered, shakily reaching up to cover Kyungsoo’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo shook his head as his thumb began to soothe across Baekhyun’s cheekbone, the smile appearing on his lips again. “It’s fine, don’t worry, as long as you stay with me, everything is fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’ll never leave, I promise,” Baekhyun said - and he meant it with all of his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He would never leave.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  Kyungsoo watched in horror as Baekhyun fell to his knees. He could not see how deep the knife was embedded in Baekhyun’s guts, but he could see from the angle that it was not a good place to having been stabbed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baekhyun had gone for certain death. He had tried to make sure there was no coming back for either him or the other inside of him. A desperate choice to keep the decision in his own hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>The fucker!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  With a gasp, Baekhyun dropped the dagger to the ground, and all other thoughts fled Kyungsoo’s mind as panic took over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Baekhyun! Baekhyun, no, please!” Kyungsoo cried out, rushing over to the man. He needed to get him inside, away from the battlefield and to someone who could help, someone who could fix what Baekhyun had done to himself, he needed-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It was not until Kyungsoo was on his knees in front of Baekhyun, hands trembling as he tried to get a look at the supposed wound, that he realized that the dagger lying on the ground was completely devoid of blood. And as Baekhyun slowly straightened up, Kyungsoo could see that there was not a single tear in his clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Oh, no…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "B-Baekhyun…?" Kyungsoo whispered, terror filling his voice and bleeding into his expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A twisted smile, wildly shining eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "I'm sorry, but Baekhyunnie isn't available right now. Don't worry, though, he's very happy where he is."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>  Walking through the carnage, Baëkhyun did not pay it any mind as he shook his hand free from the blood clinging to it. It was so red against his skin, glimmering so prettily, but the stickiness was a bit annoying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  In the end it had probably been a good thing that Baëkhyun had managed to manipulate Baekhyun to take desperate measures to try to play the hero, giving Baëkhyun the opportunity to force him deeper than he had ever gone before. He probably would not have liked what Baëkhyun had done to Kyungsoo - whoever said Baëkhyun could not be nice was obviously wrong, he had kindly shielded Baekhyun from seeing or ever knowing what happened to Kyungsoo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Baëkhyun truly was a benevolent man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Did you kill him? Wow, that’s brutal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “He was a threat,” Baëkhyun answered with a shrug. “He got my other self out last time, he could do it again, so he had to die.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Chuckling, Chanyeøl crossed his arms over his chest. “I see your point. Wouldn’t want you to disappear again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Reaching up, Baëkhyun patted Chanyeøl’s cheek, leaving behind bloody prints.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Don’t you worry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>babe</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m not going anywhere,” Baëkhyun purred with a smirk, before moving past the other. “How are we doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Chën and Kāi are leading an attack on the facility where Suhø is being held,” Sehůn recounted, putting his bow across his shoulder before unhooking something from his belt and holding it out for Baëkhyun. “They should probably be here soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Nodding, Baëkhyun accepted the sword from Sehůn, only listening with half an ear. Oh, it had been so long since last he held his love… And she was still just as beautiful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You’ve been taking good care of her,” Baëkhyun noted as he slid the sword free from its sheath, watching the metal catch the light and shimmer so prettily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Of course,” Chanyeøl said. “Rather a sharp blade cutting my throat than a dull one should you be displeased when returning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Before Baëkhyun could reply, the air seemed to be displaced, pulled towards an unseen center before being pushed out again, three people standing in its place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Suhø was hanging in between Kāi and Chën, arms slung over their shoulders, looking like he had been killed and then brought back to life. Did not seem like he had had all too much fun during his imprisonment, the poor guy. Baëkhyun might have been trapped, but he had still been able to feel everything Baekhyun had felt, and there had been a bit more good than bad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “You look awful,” was Chën’s first words after he had taken a good look at Baëkhyun, nose wrinkling a bit in disgust. “So </span>
  <em>
    <span>prim and proper.</span>
  </em>
  <span> No fun at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Sorry, they didn’t provide any nice latex outfits,” Baëkhyun drawled, before reaching up to touch where his braids had once been. “Though I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> pretty pissed he cut my hair… Took a long fucking time to grow it out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It may have looked ridiculous, but it was better than the innocent boyish look you’ve got going now,” Chën agreed. “What happened to the little owl boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Instead of answering, Baëkhyun simply held up his hand that was still smeared red with blood, and he could not help the tiny smirk tugging at his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He had always felt hatred for Kyungsoo. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretty</span>
  </em>
  <span> and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind</span>
  </em>
  <span>, nice to everyone, always willing to help, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>good-hearted.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And he had always preferred weak little Baekhyunnie for some reason, never giving Baëkhyun a chance to show how much better he was - instead he had helped Baekhyun stay in control, had helped him work against Baëkhyun. Had helped keep Baëkhyun imprisoned in the mind of the body that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> should be possessing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>So infuriating.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Did you kill your little boytoy?” Kāi asked, pouting as Baëkhyun made a noise of confirmation. “Aw, he was so cute, couldn’t you’ve let me play a little with him first?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “And risk him breaking free and bringing Baekhyunnie to the surface again? As if,” Baëkhyun said, rolling his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “My kind of fun wouldn’t have given him the opportunity to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> about breaking free,” Kāi murmured, eyes glinting as he got closer to Baëkhyun. “You know that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Faster than light, Baëkhyun snapped his hand up to grab Kāi by the jaw, fingers digging into flesh as he held the other in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Still not a risk I’d be willing to take,” Baëkhyun said, glancing over towards where he had left the corpse, towards the buildings where he had spent the last few weeks. “Don’t worry, though, I’ll bring you someone else to play with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Immediately, Kāi’s pout disappeared, making way for as wide of a smile as he could manage with Baëkhyun still holding on to him, clapping his hands as he gleefully giggled. Snorting, Baëkhyun released Kāi and shoved his face away from himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hyung takes such good care of me!” Kāi sing-songed, pirouetting around to wrap his arms around Baëkhyun’s shoulders from behind and whisper into his ear. “Bring me someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretty</span>
  </em>
  <span>, please…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “This is not the time for petty games!” Suhø hissed, voice almost completely ruined, having them all turn towards him. “It’s gone too far and they all need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>pay!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Work hard, play harder,” Sehůn said as he dragged three fingertips down Suhø’s cheek, giving a tiny pout as Suhø slapped his hand away. “What do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I want them all to </span>
  <em>
    <span>burn</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Suhø grinded out, teeth stained red by the blood starting to trickle out at one of the corners of his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Grinning madly, Chanyeøl held up both hands, clenching them into fists as he called forth his fire. “Yes, sir!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Feeling that glorious, euphoric calm only a battlefield could bring him, Baëkhyun began to weave his sword around him in lazy circles. Finally, he was right where he should be. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>home.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not good at writing battles, but I tried...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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